The hour-long documentary Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die was big news on Twitter, with #choosingtodie, Terry Pratchett and Dignitas all trending throughout the programme’s broadcast.

Opinions expressed on Twitter about assisted suicide in general were predictably mixed, but few seemed to be questioning the BBC’s right to broadcast the documentary, which showed businessman Peter Smedley die at the Dignitas clinic.

Twitter user Debmattinson was amongst those who seemed to sympathise with Sir Terry’s cause, saying: ‘This powerful film making case for #choosingtodie very eloquently indeed. Brave people #TerryPratchett’.

But other microbloggers disagreed with Pratchett’s argument that he and others like him should have the right to choose how and when they die.

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NHS_GP tweeted: ‘I understand the fear of painful death. But as a doctor who may become involved I have great unease about assisted dying.’

But the majority of Twitter users used the social media site as a platform to praise the programme, with many pointing out how moving it was.

User Brokenbottleboy said: ‘The Terry Pratchett assisted dying documentary is so painfully poignant and done with such dignity,’ while Politicalhackuk tweeted: ‘Intensely moving. Sensitively presented and the most powerful piece of TV you’ll see this year.’

Earlier a spokesman for pressure group Care Not Killing Alliance, said the programme risked creating a âsuicide contagionâ among the vulnerable and had merely been created to make eye-catching TV.

And anti-euthanasia campaigner Alistair Thompson, a spokesman for the Care Not Killing Alliance pressure group, said: ‘This is pro-assisted suicide propaganda loosely dressed up as a documentary.’

A BBC spokeswoman said the documentary was ‘about one person’s experience, Terry’s journey exploring the issues and the experience he is going through. It is giving people the chance to make their own minds up on the issue.’